Wow. Is that actual, nonsarcastic sorrow I feel for Notre Dame? Yup. Even Bob Davie looked kinda pissed when FSU was announced for the Sugar Bowl. On the other hand... WOOHOO!!! Iowa's only loss came at the hands of then-Heisman candidate Senneca Wallace. Zack Mills (O'Brien Award finalist) picked 'em apart for 22 points in 9 minutes to force OT. What's a Heisman candidate going to do to them? Should be a very interesting game.

I'm not entirely sure what Oklahoma's doing in the Rose Bowl when Iowa was the BIg 10 co-champs (I assume that it has something to do with Oklahoma being kicked out of its spot in the Fiesta Bowl), but couldn't there have been a little shuffling to get Iowa in there? Honestly, it's not like there wasn't another Big 10 team around to put in there.

Unfortunately, Florida State could have lost to Iowa State and Florida, and they still would have been in the game because of the conference champions provision. Funny, no one bitches about conference champions with 4 or 5 losses getting put in this game, but if a 2 loss Notre Dame team was in it, it would have been the end of the world (and, as a Notre Dame fan, I don't think they deserved to go over Iowa). Breaking down the games:

Orange: Iowa vs. USC: Have never, and will never have faith in a Pete Carroll coached team in a big spot. Iowa wins.

Rose: Oklahoma vs Washington State: This game could either be a classic, or a real bad game. Have a feeling on the latter, and Oklahoma wins by four touchdowns.

Sugar: Florida State vs. Georgia: Teacher vs. Student match-up coaching wise. Mediocre Florida State team, but with a month to prepare, plus a Georgia team that could have lost 3 additional games during the season, I think FSU pulls one out.

Fiesta: Miami vs. Ohio State: When Miami wants to play, no one can beat them. They've never won in the Fiesta Bowl. However, I think there quick strike offense is to much for Ohio State, and this game could break quick like last years national title game. The Ohio State tightrope act ends in a five touchdown massacre (and before anyone accuses me of being a Miami fan, I lived in that city for a year, and I hate the program. I despise them for running up the score against Notre Dame in the anti-Christ Gerry Faust's last game. If they went 0-11, I think they won to many games. Unfortunately, they are the best team in the country).

I'm not entirely sure what Oklahoma's doing in the Rose Bowl when Iowa was the BIg 10 co-champs (I assume that it has something to do with Oklahoma being kicked out of its spot in the Fiesta Bowl), but couldn't there have been a little shuffling to get Iowa in there? Honestly, it's not like there wasn't another Big 10 team around to put in there.

Well, the Orange Bowl got first choice due to the fact that Miami was lost to the Fiesta Bowl (why that trumps the Rose Bowl losing Ohio State, I do not know. Maybe because the Rose Bowl had the National Championship last year). And they apparently decided over the last couple of days that they really, really wanted Iowa. Seems that they travel well, or at least are expected to travel well. So the Rose Bowl was pretty much just out of luck on this.

These are some of the least attractive bowl matchups I've seen (and last year was pretty bad too.) Anyway:

Iowa/USC: Carson Palmer is playing like a top 5 pick and I don't know if Iowa's D has faced something this potent yet since losing to Seneca Wallace. USC by 10.

Oklahoma/Wazzou: Like redsoxnation said, this could be a classic or a blowout. I'll call Oklahoma by 24, and let us never exclude a Big 10 - Pac 10 matchup again.

Florida State/Georgia: LIVE, from the Nokia Nobody Wants To Watch This Bowl. Georgia waltzed into a BCS payoff with Alabama on probation and Arkansas lucking into the title game. Florida State gets in by winning the weakest major conference in years. I'll go Georgia by 3 in triple overtime, which still wouldn't make me want to watch this.

1) Miami gets run on. A LOT. More than a lot.2) Clarett will be healthy after 6 weeks of resting his shoulder.3) Noone has put up more than 21 on OSU's defense. That includes very, VERY potent offenses like Texas Tech (21), Penn State (6), Washington State (7), and Michigan (9.)4) They also stop the run pretty well - #4 in the nation, only 4 rushing TD's allowed all season. Add in the bend-don't-break aspect (12.2 papg) and you have a tough D.

I think Ohio controls the clock, keeps Miami's weapons off the field and holds 'em to 2 touchdowns - and wins 19-14. Of course, I love picking the underdog, so... take this for what you will.

Originally posted by rikidozani was praying to the Evil Bastard God that the BCS committee would invoke the "Big East" rule and pass over FSU for MD, as MD had a better overall record 10-3 (6-2) vs 9-4 (7-1)

If the Terps hadn't dropped that abortion of a game against Virginia, they would've been ranked higher and would've gotten the BCS slot.

I'm not entirely sure what Oklahoma's doing in the Rose Bowl when Iowa was the BIg 10 co-champs (I assume that it has something to do with Oklahoma being kicked out of its spot in the Fiesta Bowl), but couldn't there have been a little shuffling to get Iowa in there? Honestly, it's not like there wasn't another Big 10 team around to put in there.

Well, the Orange Bowl got first choice due to the fact that Miami was lost to the Fiesta Bowl (why that trumps the Rose Bowl losing Ohio State, I do not know. Maybe because the Rose Bowl had the National Championship last year). And they apparently decided over the last couple of days that they really, really wanted Iowa. Seems that they travel well, or at least are expected to travel well. So the Rose Bowl was pretty much just out of luck on this.

The radio station Im listening to this morning is reporting that due to the fact that the Orange Bowl pays more than the Rose bowl to the BCS pot they get first choice.

I'm not entirely sure what Oklahoma's doing in the Rose Bowl when Iowa was the BIg 10 co-champs (I assume that it has something to do with Oklahoma being kicked out of its spot in the Fiesta Bowl), but couldn't there have been a little shuffling to get Iowa in there? Honestly, it's not like there wasn't another Big 10 team around to put in there.

Well, the Orange Bowl got first choice due to the fact that Miami was lost to the Fiesta Bowl (why that trumps the Rose Bowl losing Ohio State, I do not know. Maybe because the Rose Bowl had the National Championship last year). And they apparently decided over the last couple of days that they really, really wanted Iowa. Seems that they travel well, or at least are expected to travel well. So the Rose Bowl was pretty much just out of luck on this.

The radio station Im listening to this morning is reporting that due to the fact that the Orange Bowl pays more than the Rose bowl to the BCS pot they get first choice.

(edited by brick on 9.12.02 0919)

The larger pay-out is why they got their second choice in USC over the Sugar Bowl, while the Sugar gets stuck with 4 loss FSU.

also, miami was the #1 in the BCS, therefore, the Orange bowl gets first choice. OSU was #2, and the Rose bowl got second choice. before the sugar bowl could take it's pick at at large, since the rose bowl passed, the orange bowl took it's "you suck and we don't" override it may take once every 4 years and got 2 picks...

Well first of all, to say that everybody would complain about Notre Dame but nobody is complaining about FSU is ridiculous. EVERYBODY is complaining about FSU getting in.

Also, maybe i'm the only one here but I like Iowa not being in the Rose Bowl, because I want to see Iowa vs. USC. Of course i'm the traditionalist who thinks the Rose Bowl has to be Pac 10 vs. Big 10 every year. I mean it's nice, but if one of the champions (Ohio St.) is in the championship then I don't have a problem with putting someone else in. Of course this has never been an issue since this is the first Big 10 or Pac 10 team to make it to the BCS #1 vs. BCS #2. ANyway, it will be interesting to see the two teams fighting for the at large spots face off. And it will be even more interesting to see USC destroy them because Palmer and USC are for real and Iowa and Banks are overrated.

As for the other matches. Miami and Ohio State I think will be a good game. Washington St. vs. Oklahoma I have no interest in at all, and unfortunately I think Oklahoma will win. Georgia and FSU I'm interested in, but only because I love the SEC and FSU and therefore are hoping for blowout.

Other games i'm interested in...Independence Bowl: Nebraska vs. Ole Miss - Nebraska in the INdependence Bowl!? HAHAHA! I hope Ole Miss beats them but i'm not sure Nebraska is THAT bad. But with Manning you never know.

Peach Bowl: Tennessee vs. Maryland - Again I just like this matchup to see the SEC vs. ACC because man I hate those guys. (A SEC team has beaten an ACC team five years in a row now)

I also have one question. Somebody told me that the Capital One Bowl used to be the Citrus Bowl, is this true? Is that like one of the top non-BCS games? Why would they take Auburn over Florida, LSU or even Arkansas (who finished ahead of Auburn). And why would they take Penn State over Michigan (although this one I can understand more than the Auburn one)?

The Citrus Bowl took Penn State over Michigan because Michigan's been to Orlando 2 of the last 3 years, and evidentally that really hurts revenue. Since this is Penn State's first bowl game since '99 [ugh], the bowl committees know that Penn State fans are going to travel and spend tons of money. PSU's allotment is already gone, save for student tickets, which don't go on sale til tomorrow morning. Plus, it's a great matchup - Auburn's defense has given up a lot of rushing yards this season - can they stop LJ? Rather than have Michigan fans in the same place for a third time, they'll take the fresh money and let Michigan travel up the road for a 'first-ever' matchup that'll bring the dollars in. Michigan played in Orlando last year - Penn State hasn't been there since a handy l'il loss against Florida in 1998. The BCS really doesn't care about any rankings that aren't "#1" or "#2"...

OSU has a pretty solid defense against the rush [4 rushing TDs allowed in 13 games], but their offense has to actually put points on the board to win. I know that sounds obvious, but I think, in their last three games, they scored 13, 14, and 14 points- in the Penn State game, their only TD was a Ron Gamble INT. Defense does win championships, but the offense has to help out there, too.

Just for the record, the BCS couldn't envoke the "Big East" rule on FSU, because they don't qualify. The "Big East" rule applies only when a conference champion's ranking averages 12 or below over a four year period. You can read more about this in the FAQ here : Click Here

Basically, while a rule is in place for an out, it is one that they really never intend to use.

Originally posted by rikidozanyes, capital one is the new name of the citrus bowl...

they took penn state because they wanted red hot Grand-Ma-Ma and Auburn was the #2 team in SEC west [not counting 'Bama].

(edited by rikidozan on 9.12.02 1218)

True, but Arkansas was #1 in the West and they go do the Music City Bowl, and #2 goes to the Capital One Bowl. I don't understand this.

Oh well.

Actually, when you figure in the loss to UGA in the SEC Championship game, Arkansas drops all the way to 4th in the SEC West standings behind Bama, Auburn, and LSU. I don't necessarily think it's fair to count the Championship game against Arkansas but, that's the official SEC standings. Arkansas has an even bigger complaint when you figure that Arkansas beat LSU a couple of weeks ago and they dominated Auburn by 3 TDs AT Auburn back in October.

The fact is that Auburn was chosen for the (former) Citrus Bowl because they are much closer to the bowl and will draw more fans than Arkansas would. But, it's hard to feel bad for Arkansas because they got a similar break last season when the Cotton Bowl took Arkansas over a 8-3 UGA team that dominated Arkansas earlier in the season. Coincidently, UGA ended up in the Music City Bowl also.

Originally posted by CubsWooGeorgia waltzed into a BCS payoff with Alabama on probation and Arkansas lucking into the title game.

I'm definitely no fan of the Georgia Bulldogs but, that's not a fair statement. UGA beat Alabama AT Alabama and they also beat Auburn AT Auburn. UGA deserves their spot in the BCS.

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